Seniors in top three for healthy aging, kids summer playdate, 2025 Vancouver arts and music festival, and more. 
Happy Friday, Vancouver. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Vancouver Brief serve up everything you need to know for the weekend ahead.
📰 In the news
Local happenings: Dike breach plan to rejoin Shillapoo wetland with Columbia River, free mattress collection in Portland, and college funding to expand health career pathways — catch up here.
State-level stories: New rules boost pay transparency, work zone cameras ticket thousands of speeders, and Washington seniors leap into the top three for healthy aging — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: Study finds adults inhale thousands of plastic fragments daily, many hearts age faster than their owners, and Ford recalls F-150 hybrids without seatbelt chime — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Get free tax help this Monday
- Join monthly peer support for neurodivergent adults
- Paddle for life on Lake River
- Kids get free summer meals onsite
- Grab free backpacks and school supplies
- Unlock dozens of travel deals with AARP
🫶 We got your back
Thrift: Finding that perfect vintage piece doesn’t have to drain your wallet. These thrift stores in Vancouver are packed with unique gems that’ll have you feeling like a style insider.
Food: Ancient fishing traditions meet hipster vibes in modern kitchens, from geoduck sashimi to cedar-plank salmon and coffee-infused Vietnamese tacos. These must-try dishes prove the flavor game is next-level.
Reads: The smell of paper, the thrill of cracking open a new story, and the chance to accidentally spend two hours debating which cover looks cooler, White Oak Books is basically a playground for bookworms (minus the monkey bars, plus way more coffee).
Health: Forget outdated weight loss fads and gimmicks. Modern science has changed the game. GLP-1 medications (like the ones behind today’s most talked-about treatments) are helping people manage weight in a safer, more sustainable way. Check out your options today.
👀 Why just read it when you could be in it?
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📆 Around town this weekend
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirey outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
Today
🍖 Goin’ For Broke BBQ Cookoff @ Prairie Tavern | Friday (8/1) at 6:00pm – This PNW BBQ cookoff blends friendly competition, charred meats, and prime people-watching, and it’s on the hunt for ambitious cooks and self-proclaimed judges. Come flaunt your smoky prowess or bring your most discerning palate, and brace yourself for good-natured trash talk and serious bragging rights.
✨ Glitter & Gasoline @ Cascade Bar and Grill | Friday (8/1) at 8:00pm – Ready to trade bar stool chitchat for something louder? Swing by Cascade Bar & Grill to catch Glitter & Gasoline’s debut, where rock, pop, and soulful grooves collide in a five-dollar frenzy of sing-alongs, surprise mashups, and enough energy to power your weekend.
This weekend
🛶 Paddle for Life @ Lake River | Saturday (8/2) at 8:00am – Nothing cures cabin fever like gliding across Lake River, your paddle slicing through water mist. You won’t need an Olympic muscle, just a sense of humor, sturdy craft, and a heart for a good cause, plus bragging rights as Ridgefield’s most benevolent weekend warrior.
🐾 Pet Portraits @ General OO Howard House | Saturday (8/2) at 9:00am – Think your cat secretly fancies itself a Vogue cover star or just has an uncanny knack for looking judgmental? This summer’s free pet portrait session comes with a pro photographer, cafecito, pup cups, and a K9 meet-and-greet. Book ahead or wing it.
🛍️ Kid’s Flea Market | Saturday (8/2) at 1:00pm – Whether your kid’s mastered the art of haggling or still confuses dollars with Monopoly money, this mini flea market is the perfect stage. At ten bucks plus a stack of donated books, they run their booths, charm customers, and learn entrepreneurial hustle, no staff hand-holding.
🎨 2025 Vancouver Arts and Music Festival @ Esther Short Park | Sunday (8/3) at 10:00am – Ditch the usual weekend reruns and stake your claim at Esther Short Park for a free art and music mash-up, complete with local galleries, juried exhibitions, and Grammy-winning acts backed by our very own symphony. Elbowing strangers for prime seating counts as community bonding.
🎭 Sunday School: Indie Improv Showcase @ Curious Comedy Theater | Sunday (8/3) at 6:00pm – Ready to spend Sunday avoiding chores and watching strangers riff scenes on the fly? This bi-monthly, indie longform improv showcase from Curious Comedy corrals top teams, local upstarts, and special guests into a PG-13 comedy cocktail that’s pure Portland.
🎭 Twelfth Night @ Metropolitan Performing Arts | Sunday (8/3) at 6:00pm – Patio weather calls for fake British accents and free guffaws in the back field. Our hometown troupe kicks off its seventh summer of Shakespeare shenanigans with Twelfth Night plus a season 16 announcement party you can crash without a cover charge, blankets optional.
Next week
💸 Free Tax Assistance @ Three Creeks Community Library | Monday (8/4) at 1:00pm – If you’ve been ignoring that IRS letter gathering dust on your counter, Ren Locus volunteers will guide you through filing a return, decipher that cryptic notice, and help you claim the Working Families Tax Credit. It’s free advice, no judgment, and easy scheduling.
🎩 Comedy & Magic with Angel Ocasio / Comedia y magia con Ángel Ocasio @ Three Creeks Community Library | Tuesday (8/5) at 11:00am – Angel Ocasio, the PNW’s top physical comedian, is storming the stage with silly antics, magic tricks, and the occasional juggling act that somehow ropes in you, the unsuspecting crowd. Think clown meets Houdini, minus scary masks, plus family-friendly laughs.
🚜 Kids Summer Playdate: Down on the Farm @ Vancouver Mall | Tuesday (8/5) at 11:30am – Think you can wrangle a baby goat without a hay-stained Saturday shirt? This free farm-day playdate drops county-fair charm in the mall with real goats, button-making, tin-can slams, face painting, and zero manure cleanup. Barnyard bragging rights guaranteed.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 8/2 DubsVibes Show 2025 @ Vancouver Lake – 9 am
- 8/2 Vanport Jazz Festival 2025 @ Colwood Golf Center – 12 pm
- 8/2 King Louie & Renato Caranto @ Columbia Park – 6:30 pm
- 8/2 Christie Huff @ Ponderosa Lounge – 9 pm
- 8/3 Paperback Writer @ 14 Acres – 6 pm
- 8/3 Twelfth Night @ Metropolitan Performing Arts – 6 pm
- 8/3 Sunday Sounds @ Columbia Tech Center – 6 pm
- 8/3 Live DJ @ Thirsty Sasquatch – 7 pm
- 8/3 Movie Night @ Thirsty Sasquatch – 8 pm
- 8/5 Angel Ocasio @ Three Creeks Community Library – 11 am
🏠️ Price is right – Vancouver edition
How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).
*This 👇 could be your listing. Hit us up if you’ve got a home (or 12) to sell.
Listed by: Dustin Ho (Parker Brennan Real Estate)
Soaring ceilings, extra-tall doors, and a showstopping 19-foot great room set the stage for this 3,034-square-foot stunner. Five bedrooms and a lineup of luxury finishes keep things feeling fresh, while the open layout and designer touches make every corner feel a little bit special. The upstairs keeps things airy with 8-foot ceilings, and the craftsmanship doesn’t skip a beat outside, where a fully landscaped backyard is ready for impromptu gatherings or lazy afternoons.
Built in 2022 and still gleaming, this place is all about easy living with a side of architectural drama. The vibe is polished, the space is generous, and the location keeps you close to everything that matters.
Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →
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